حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبَانُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ مَثَلُ الْأُتْرُجَّةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَمَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ التَّمْرَةِ طَعْمُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ الرَّيْحَانَةِ رِيحُهَا طَيِّبٌ وَطَعْمُهَا مُرٌّ وَمَثَلُ الْفَاجِرِ الَّذِي لَا يَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ کَمَثَلِ الْحَنْظَلَةِ طَعْمُهَا مَرٌّ وَلَا رِيحَ لَهَا وَمَثَلُ الْجَلِيسِ الصَّالِحِ کَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الْمِسْکِ إِنْ لَمْ يُصِبْکَ مِنْهُ شَيْئٌ أَصَابَکَ مِنْ رِيحِهِ وَمَثَلُ جَلِيسِ السُّوئِ کَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الْکِيرِ إِنْ لَمْ يُصِبْکَ مِنْ سَوَادِهِ أَصَابَکَ مِنْ دُخَانِهِ
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 4829
Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet ﷺ said: A believer who recites the Quran is like a citron whose fragrance is sweet and whose taste is sweet, a believer who does not recite the Quran is like a date which has no fragrance but has sweet taste, a profligate who recites the Quran is like basil whose fragrance is sweet but whose taste is bitter, and the profligate who does not recite the Quran is like the colocynth which has a bitter taste and has not fragrance. A good companion is like a man who has musk; if nothing of it goes to you, its fragrance will (certainly) go to you; and a bad companion is like a man who has bellows; if its (black) root does not go to you, its smoke will (certainly) go to you.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020